Kenneth Williams Rare In Depth Interview Part One

In an interview with Mavis Nicholson, from 1974, Kenneth's genius shows through, as he discusses his life and career.
Free of the usual anecdotes, Ken entertainingly and revealingly analyses himself and gives us an idea of what makes him tick.
The interview is in two parts. This is part one.

[@laytonjones2093]

Williams is just a joy. Mavis was an excellent interviewer

[@LionheartNh]

What an incredible intellect...he says what we all think..and much more..thank you for being you Kenneth..the universe will never be the same without you.

[@indiana1977]

Such a complex personality. A truly unique man, terribly tortured but much beloved by the British public.

[@kenpudsey6435]

Exellent interview with Kenneth..great post.

[@zimri-lim8254]

We never get anything like this quality of interviewew with anyone genuinely interesting any more, it's always a script, a quick anecdote and onto 5 minutes plugging whatever they're now doing now or doing next - a junket interview really and that's all they are. Of couse we also donlt have many or anyone at all - who can hold forth, capivate, and entertain at length like Kenneth. A true star, and they're so rare to find these days - even current movie stars, they're not really movie stars, as they used to be.

[@StonefieldJim4]

I'd forgotten how much I miss Mavis Nicholson, let alone Williams. Ah, the days when TV producers and interviewers assumed their audiences could handle ideas and conversations (without frills) - nothing fancy, just good TV.

[@robertpayne4435]

This just shows how receptive he was. So reflective and aware. Ultra intelligent.

[@Agui007]

Kenneth and Sid, two great comic legends. A rare breed and will be very hard to find again.

[@HowardPrice]

It's a shame that the public never really knew Kenneth. He lived a double life. His diaries are a real revelation. Well worth reading. He's missed so.

[@iainholmes2735]

Agreed. A national treasure. A very interesting person. I loved his interview about Joe Orton: you could tell it was an honest appraisal/analysis, and he was being himself.

[@train672]

I was lucky enough to me in the audience once for a recording on "Round the Horne" It was interesting to see the cast at work. I never realised at the time I was watching a great moment in broadcasting history.

[@zimnaya]

I worked for many years in Hallam Street and saw Kenneth Williams several times. He always looked as though he wished to talk and I regret immensely that I was so over-awed that I never did stop and talk

[@CityThatCannotBeCaptured]

Adorable man.

[@akumar7366]

A wonderful man , great memories from my childhood .

[@paulspydar]

wow, I was here 8 years ago, Trawling for more Kenny & landed back here, :-)

[@brettmillman9137]

I've always been fascinated with Kenneth. His life was not what he wanted it to be and this is sad. I believe he should have been more thankful though to all that loved him and his work. It's always disappointing to read that he was many times nasty and held a lot of people who loved him with contempt. A sad, tortured man, but one who lit up many lives with his gift of acting. Thank you Kenneth, and I hope you have finally found the place that you can be yourself and feel complete. RIP

[@sarahholland2600]

Hurt people hurt people. If you read his diaries he was often so depressed he struggled to hold it together, so he poured it all into his diaries. It wasn't just his sexuality, it was being stereotyped as & limited to, comedy, when his early serious theatre career was very successful .

[@robertpayne4435]

This interview is a perfect examination of emotional intelligence. No exams for this sadly.

[@rivestalex]

Thoroughly enjoying these interviews with him.

[@kcirish]

Such a wonderful man and actor with sadly a lonely depressing private life. Sadly missed.

[@aryehfinklestein9041]

He's the best raconteur ever.

[@jaceylataire2511]

Aaaaaaah I just Love Kenneth ❤️ ❤️ ...

[@markgiles9449]

Kenneth is sooooo funny 😂 especially laughing at the end of this brilliant interview.

[@Geraint3000]

Mavis Nicholson was an amazng interviewer.

[@CityThatCannotBeCaptured]

Fabulous, fabulous personality.

[@charlesdavis7087]

Love it every time. !!

[@JoeStunner]

Fantastic interview! Many thanks for posting it. :-)

[@drees71]

Mavis Nicholson, so much better than Parkinson.

[@mkukulelecoverversions5576]

Apart from the fact that he was very entertaining, he was often the bore that he described at the beginning. He knew it, and he didn't care, because he adored himself.

[@sdgfsdfsdf1820]

There is a neediness of KW to be the Centre of attention regardless of other people around, in another video an actor said if he didn't think know the audience were paying gig attention to him he would go off script walk to the front of the stage start off with, ooh helloooo, for up to 4 minutes leaving the rest of the cast having to go along great with it

[@ammorreztristar]

British comedy legend. RIP Kenneth.

[@campfreddie]

thanks for posting

[@tehlia77]

@pauly1138 Hi pauly, I know you commented this a year ago but I've just read yours, what struck me was when you mentioned Kenneth & Jeremy Brett, cause the two of them come across in interveiwes as almost the same, in the way they think and talk, very intelligent, it's a shame the both of them didnt get to play more ' Actor ' roles, it's always great & fun to watch them. hope you dont have too many bleak days, Mike.

[@markh9749]

It's a tragedy that, in later life and in I'll health, that KW came to regard himself and his career as failures. He was a singular man and talent and, in this unusually interesting interview, a gift to chat show hosts. Mavis Nicholson got the best out of KW here.

[@rexel666]

Kenneth Williams was superb

[@ianbentley7276]

Mavis can't stop laughing, and who can blame her.

[@ChrisChanningChannel]

there *are* some interviews (several with a very young russell harty) which crop up now and then on which he *does* refrain from doing an act - for a clearer picture of williams, the television plays 'cor blimey' and 'fantabulosa' are unbeatable ... while his diaries are an intellectual and specialist insight into many things including himself and his occupation

[@CathyKitson]

The interviewer didn't stop laughing once. He was funny without even trying.

[@Sameoldfitup]

Life is all memory

[@MandyBuglet]

I've never see one like him before! I've seen other clips on youtube, the man was freakin' hilarious! I would have liked to have met him, but he died the year I turned 6. -Amanda

[@TheodorBjork]

Strange how Mavis Nicholson mimicks William's voice patterns. I'm unfamiliar with Nicholsons work, but is this her usual vernacular?

[@gnamp]

Mavis's laughter is the stuff of nightmares

[@acohen1980]

He's the son of norf London carpet salesman...cooool....

[@paulspydar]

thanks for uploading this , could you tell me what is blacked out at the bottom of the csreen please? if you know that is? cheers

[@SylviaIllingworth]

This is probably from the original taping so there would be a timer running along the bottom. I think the uploader has edited it out. X

[@DavyTop]

Try and get your hands on some of the radio broadcasts made in the mid sixties called 'Round the Horn'. Ken and Hugh Paddick did a weekly sketch as characters called Sandy and Julian. They were the first openly gay people on British radio and were outrageous but some how got away with it.

[@mummygiraffepresentsclassi8722]

"Hello is anybody there?"

[@gustavfenk4021]

RIP Mavis

[@bernardcassidy6497]

Sheer genius, underpaid and underappreciated in his time, comic genius like his comes at a price, their personal lives are different or eccentric, I think about Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Benny Hill , Robin Williams and many others .

[@gamewizard7562]

What's the black box at the bottom of the screen?

[@ybot1983]

nice welsh bird

[@robertpayne4435]

Just a throw away idea Why not make emotional intelligence part of an education ?

[@surreydeltaman]

interviewer is welsh,mavis nicholson,hence the accent Daeghraefn

[@ChrisChanningChannel]

she asks him if he minds that people automatically want him to be funny then he sits there being amusing she sits there giggling loudly and continuously like a demented fan - hm!

[@121Swaleskid]

didnt know kenneths mother was welsh :O

[@Rock74]

I wonder if he ever expected his diaries to be read after he died.

[@sdgfsdfsdf1820]

In an interview he was asked and he said he didn't mind them published after he died as he wouldn't even there for the fallout

[@davidpollard4051]

She's light years ahead of Parkinson.

[@gamewizard7562]

What's with the black box on the screen? He was funny as heck on screen but bitter and mean off screen. He didn't have time for anyone but his mother outside of work. Eventually he lost all his friends with his rude and outrageous behavior. Very sad.

[@sdgfsdfsdf1820]

K

[@moroc99]

dont you yhink the interviever looks a bit like kenneth in drag

[@CaptPoco]

I didn't know people could ever have an accent this silly!

[@robertpayne4435]

Get to really know the child at source that you claim to be educating. And then open them to the future that possibly could attain .

[@playgirlc]

@jimmystewert1 - i was just reading in his diaries a few days ago about how he'd left a £1 note in an envelope for the postman, just randomly, it wasnt christmas or anything. he said that they work so hard it must be nice to get a nice surprise now and again. aw....

[@playgirlc]

@spaceoreo - yeah... i think he was 'tortured' to a degree. very much a square peg in a round hole, certainly for the times & also thru life circumstances. i'm reading his diaries atm &, i suppose like most of us, he was a v multi-faceted person. sometimes i agree with his views wholeheartedly, sometimes theyre eye-opening, sum things in it i really dont like, sometimes he's hypocritical & ungrateful. but it's interesting & of course, it's his edited diaries so not to be taken too fully.

[@playgirlc]

working class too! :o)

[@playgirlc]

@Mscabbageable - erm yes he was, sorry to disappoint you.